Time
by Swift tales
Summary: Horatio gets more time note: this is a Hardy Boys fic, but if you blink you'll miss it, it might not seem so in the beginning but is a Hardy Boys fic
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own

Chapter 1

"Time was all you would have needed to save his life."

Startled Horatio turned around. He'd been looking out of the window, looking over his city and he'd been reminiscing about old times. He'd been thinking about everything that had gone wrong, he'd been thinking about how his team was holding up and what he had been thinking wasn't pretty.

Ryan hadn't had a very easy start at the lab, thrown into a situation where he could do nothing right, because he wasn't Speed, because he wasn't the one everyone wanted. He'd been shunned and cast aside and it had taken him so long to be a part of something where even now he hadn't been fully accepted, not by everyone at least.

Eric was different from the Eric he'd first met, he looked the same to everyone, but Horatio could see it. He could see the way Eric would look out the window occasionally and Horatio would know that Eric was lost in thought, looking for the memory off the best friend he'd ever had. The Latino would never allow anyone to take Speed's place, refused to let himself get close to anyone and that was why he couldn't see what was now right in front of his eyes.

Because Horatio had seen the looks off longing Ryan had sent the Cuban's way. The two would be good for each other, but their pride and the bitterness they felt towards each other wouldn't allow them to be together.

Calleigh had lost her smile. She still smiled but it wasn't the same and it wasn't as often. She'd lost her spark, the cheery attitude that had made her Calleigh Duquesne, bullet girl. She wasn't the same.

Alexx, as a mother, had lost one of her children and even though she had taken Ryan underneath her wing and cared for him, she still missed her baby. It was obvious, not one body had occupied the same cooling cell Speed had lain in after he'd been shot.

He himself was different. He still cared about the victims, still wanted their families to have peace. But Speed had been one of the few people who he could rely on. Horatio had lost one of the few people who didn't look for him with the constant expectance of Horatio having all the answers. He'd lost his friend and partner. A part of him had died that day as well. Most of his warmth had disappeared, leaving a colder, more impersonal Horatio Caine in its wake.

So he had been lost in thought that the soft voice behind him had nearly given him a heart attack.

A young girl was sitting on a corner of his desk, her legs and bare feet swinging and a sad expression on her face. She was small, had a pale complexion with brown hair that glanced like chocolate in the afternoon sun and hung slightly passed her shoulders. She was wearing a light blue dress with white flowers and spaghetti straps. She didn't look any older then fourteen, maybe fifteen years old.

He blinked at her, because certainly a girl like that wouldn't have gotten passed security, or would have gotten into the building unnoticed. More then that, he was pretty sure he'd locked the door to his office before he'd lost himself in thought.

"Time was all you would have needed to save his life."

She spoke again, slowly uttering each syllable as if it would have been a sin to rush them. Her green eyes were glazed over yet seemed oddly focused and if he was honest he was more then a little intimidated.

"Who are you?"

Was the first question that passed his lips, the first question that crossed his mind. The young girl shook her head. "That's the wrong question." Her voice was soft, deep and filled with such an incredible sadness that he forgot to breathe for just a minute.

He blinked at her. "Then what is the right question?"

The girl shrugged. "The right question would be why I am here."

Horatio looked at her. "Why are you here?" She smiled sadly. "You're so sad, you all are." Horatio understood who she meant with 'you all'. She jumped off the desk and went to stand with him next to the window, her bare feet not making any sound against the tiles. "It's sad isn't it, how much one death, one life, can change everything, even if it is blown out like a candle by the wind."

She turned to look at him, with those glazed over yet focused eyes. "Or maybe especially if it is blown out like a candle by the wind."

"Who are you?"

The question hung in the air and this time she did not seem dissatisfied by it. "My name is Lilly, well Lillian actually." Her voice turned shy at the last part and she ducked her head away from his gaze. Then she looked back up, straight into his eyes and she stood taller, squaring her shoulders and holding her head high. "I'm a guardian angel you know."

Her voice was confident and Horatio couldn't find it in himself to doubt her, especially with the strange appearance, odd eyes and maturity that seemed far over the years her physical body presented.

"Whose guardian angel are you?" He asked and she smiled softly, looking back out the window. "Ryan's." She said, her voice still soft. "And he's sad too, sadder perhaps then most think he is. He's come to the point where he wishes he never joined the lab."

She sighed and turned around, going back to his desk. "And that hurts, because I want him to be happy. I was sure the crime lab would do that for him, make him happy. I thought that meeting Eric would make him happy. But he's more miserable then I've ever seen him. He didn't cry this much when they all died."

Her glazed over eyes had slid out of focus and stared out the window, her voice was soft and her words murmured in an intimate way that told Horatio what she was telling him was something he was to keep to himself.

"Who are they?" Horatio asked, yet he could guess. "His family." She whispered.

Her eyes slid back into focus and she looked back at him, she raised her hand and held it out for him to take. "Come with me." Horatio hesitated. "Why?" She merely looked him and repeated her words. "Come with me."

Horatio took her hand in his.

The office faded away and they were standing in a street. Horatio looked around and the scenery looked all too familiar. Horatio's hummer was parked in front of a jewellery store. Speed was standing on the side walk, looking at the Rolls Royce and Horatio stood near the door of the driver's seat. The image was frozen in time.

Lillian looked at the image sadly and then turned to look at Horatio, who was transfixed. "This moment changed everything." She said again, sadly. "This moment?" Horatio asked, tearing his eyes away and looking at the brown haired girl. Lillian nodded. "Speed died that day, thinking he still had time."

Horatio swallowed past the lump of his throat. "I don't understand." He asked when he had his voice back under control. "You're Ryan's guardian angel, why are you showing me all of this?" He asked, turning to look at the young girl.

She turned back to look at the image. "Because, I'm tired off seeing him so unhappy. I'm tired off watching him become less and less like himself. I'm tired off seeing the way he's fading, loosing himself. I'm tired of watching him cry."

A tear slipped down her cheek and Horatio could do nothing but stare. She smiled sadly again, letting the tear fall into the corner of her mouth. "But I can change all of that." Her voice seemed stronger and her stance straightened.

"I can make him happy. By changing, this moment."

Horatio blinked at her.

"Time was all you would have needed to save his life. This time was all you would have needed to save his life. Yet, Ryan is meant to be a criminalist." The soft tone cut through the air.

"Do you understand?" Her voice was urgent and her eyes were focused and Horatio nodded.

Lillian smiled. "Memory is an odd thing, it's bound to time." Horatio frowned. "But then how will I know?"

Lillian smiled. "I'll help you. Time."

Horatio blinked and looked around, his eyes settling on the Rolls Royce, hand perched on the door of the hummer in the motion of closing it. He blinked again and looked up at the younger man standing in front of the hummer, shaking his head and turning around to head in the store. "Speed!"

His voice was hoarse and Horatio didn't think he sounded quite like himself. He looked back down the street, where a small girl with brown hair was sitting on the curb. She looked up and straight at him. He turned back at the young man. "Speed! Don't go in there." The young man stopped and turned around. "What? Why not?"

Horatio shook his head and frowned.

_Why not? _

He turned back to the young girl sitting on the curb, who was looking straight at him and Speed, not blinking. "Horatio? What's so interesting about the curb?" Speed asked and Horatio looked at him, then back at the girl…who was no longer there.

He looked further down the street but she was no where to be seen.

_Horatio, I'm tired off watching him cry. _

The voice in his head bounced through his skull and he shook himself, what was wrong with him? "Nothing, never mind." He said and Speed turned around, heading towards the store, Horatio right behind him.

_Horatio, I'm tired off watching him cry! _

Horatio tried to ignore the voice, while it seemed slightly louder. They open the door and stepped inside, they looked around for a minute before they were interrupted by the store owner.

_Horatio! _

The scream tore through his mind and he faltered slightly, grasping the wall and leaning against it heavily. "H, are you okay?" He could hear Speed's voice in the background. "I'm… I'm alright." Horatio managed to wheeze out, standing up straight again.

_A flash of white, blood, a gunshot. _

"Stay behind me, Speed." Horatio said, walking up towards the store owner. "What? Why?" He turned around and settled his face into the 'I'm-The-Boss-Do-As-I-Say' expression. Speed nodded. "Alright." And he stayed behind Horatio.

"We're here to see Mr. McCauley, please." Horatio said and the man smiled smoothly, a bit too smooth.

"Oh, Mr. McCauley is the previous owner. I'm the new owner. Rudolph Koehler, call me Rudy." The man took a second to glance behind his shoulder and then faced Horatio again, smiling that disgustingly sweet smile.

_Asshole! _

Horatio managed to ignore the hiss in his head.

"But maybe I can help you with something, officer. I'd be more than happy to help the police." "Yes, I've recently been speaking with your customer, Mrs. Tawny Williams." Horatio said, looking around and pausing when he noticed a man underneath a table.

"Yes, I just heard the news about her husband. It's tragic, she's such a nice lady." Ruddy said, feigning sympathy and an ice cold feeling crept up Horatio's spine. "Excuse me. Speed, stay put." He said, glancing back at Speed and the young man nodded. He pulled out his gun and approached the door.

"She and her husband were very good costumers." Ruddy continued, as if Horatio was still listening to him. But Horatio's eyes were fixed on the door. He cocked the safety palm off his gun.

The door blew open and the next thing he knew gunfire shot out. He could hear the jamming of a gun behind him and he turned around, seeing Speed look at his gun. He quickly turned back, everything turned black.

_Don't worry, all will be well. _

He couldn't find it in himself to disregard the voice.

---- ---- ----

He opened his eyes with a groan and there was a fury of movement.

"Horatio."

Horatio recognized Speed's voice and groaned again, trying to sit up straight. "What happened?" He asked, slightly disoriented. Speed made a sound in the back of his throat. "We were in the jewellery store, do you remember?"

Horatio frowned, thinking back and then nodded. "Yes."

An image of Speed looking at his gun swam before his mind's eye.

"You're gun?" Horatio asked and Speed looked at the ground. "I didn't… I didn't clean it. You were shot, but not before you took out the gunman." Speed said, not looking up. Horatio sighed. "IAB?" He asked and Speed winced. "Calleigh told them my gun malfunctioned."

Horatio paused. "She covered for you." Speed nodded. "Speed, you have to clean your gun." Horatio said and the young man looked up. "I will, Horatio. I... It took you getting shot for me to realize that I didn't have the gun for my own safety, it's to make sure I can back up my partner."

Horatio nodded and smiled. "Alright, let Calleigh help you, she'll be more then willing." Speed smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know, she already offered, after I got smacked by Alexx of course."

Horatio smiled. "Of course." Speed shifted in his seat. "I'm going to get a nurse." Horatio nodded and Speed left. The door shut behind him.

The bed dipped on his left side.

He turned his head and saw a girl sitting next to his bed, it took him a while to realize it was the same girl he'd seen sitting on the curb. She smiled at him. "Not quite the way I would have liked to see this go down. But it had the desired effect." He recognized the voice and he remembered how it sounded in his head.

She reached forward and brushed some of his hair back.

_Sleep, Horatio, all is well. _

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

St: In my story Ryan started working at CSI in 2004 when he saw 24 okay?

Disclaimer: I do not own

Chapter 2

He overlooked the crime scene, hands on his hips, listening to Eric and Speed tell him what they knew. A moment off silence fell and then they were suddenly interrupted.

"_Lieutenant. I'm officer Wolfe." The young man nodded to Eric and Speed in acknowledgement. "I ascertained there were no surveillance cameras at the scene, so I canvassed the witnesses to see if there was any camera, video equipment that might've filmed it. I've got a couple of names, sir."_

_The young man looked oddly familiar._

_"Thank you Wolfe, we'll take it from here." _

_"Yes, sir." _

_He watched the young man walk away. "That's thorough." Eric commented, amused. "We should have more people like that on the force." Speed said, looking scruffy as ever. Horatio nodded. "Yes, follow up, please." Eric grinned and did a small fake salute. "Will do, lieutenant." Speed rolled his eyes as he watched Eric took of, then he stepped passed Horatio to Alexx. Horatio smiled softly. _

_Horatio. _

_Horatio froze, he hadn't heard the voice for a few weeks, hadn't seen the girl that was tied to it since the hospital. He turned around and there she was. Blue dress with white flowers, bare feet, brown hair just passed the shoulder blades, oddly glazed over yet focused eyes. _

_She was standing in the crowd, unnoticed by everyone but him and she was looking straight at him. The scary thing was, he still had no idea who she was and didn't feel inclined to ask, but whenever she was around things happened. _

_He's meant to be a criminalist, Horatio._

_He blinked and she was gone. He frowned and turned back to look at the young police officer talking to Eric. He looked back to where he had seen the girl, the empty space in the crowd. He turned and almost had a heart attack when he saw the girl standing in front of the crime scene tape, a few feet away from officer Wolfe and Eric. _

_I was tired off watching him cry, Horatio _

_By the time Horatio caught up with Eric and the young patrol officer, she was gone already, yet her smile seemed to linger in the air._

_------- ---- --- _

"Lieutenant,"

Eric turned to look at the new presence. He suppressed a smile at the skinny patrol officer standing next to him. At least until the young man turned to give him a nod of acknowledgement. The wide brown eyes set in the pale face drew him in and he had to look away to avoid looking like he was staring. Speed nudged him in the side slightly.

"I'm officer Wolfe. _I ascertained there were no surveillance cameras at the scene, so I canvassed the witnesses to see if there was any camera, video equipment that might've filmed it. I've got a couple of names, sir." _

_Eric nodded to himself, a patrol cop who knew what he was doing that was for sure. _

_"Thank you Wolfe, we'll take it from here." Horatio said, nodding and the young man nodded once more to Horatio and was off. Eric watched him go for a split second, his eyes raking over the thin frame and debating whether he should go ask for a number before quickly turning back to the case. _

_He looked back at Horatio and nodded, giving the older man a crooked half smile. "That's thorough." The man next to him nodded. "We should have more people like that on the force."_

_"Yes, follow up please." _

_Eric smiled and nodded, giving him a mock salute. "Will do, Lieutenant." And he left, turning around and catching up with the young patrol officer. "Wolfe." He clapped the other man on the shoulder and Wolfe seemed startled at the contact, shying away from the brief touch. _

_Eric blinked and then shook it off, he'd probably just surprised Wolfe anyway. "I'm Eric Delko, you got those names?" He asked and Wolfe nodded. "Yeah." He handed Eric a slip of paper and then pointed to a few faces in the crowd. "Those two girls were shooting pictures of each other with their boyfriends, you might get something from them." _

_Eric nodded "Thanks man." Wolfe nodded. "No problem." Eric shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he watched Wolfe walk towards his police car. Taking a decision he made a half run to catch up. "Hey, Ryan, right?" _

_The young man looked surprised but nodded. "Right." Eric nodded, making another step forward and invading the younger man's personal space. Ryan didn't move, merely raised an eyebrow at him. Eric stepped a little bit closer once more. _

_This time Ryan did move back, his eyes wide and a nervous expression fleeting across his face. Eric resisted the urge to smirk. But before he could say anything Horatio's voice split through the air. _

_"Officer Wolfe, can I talk to you for a second?" He asked and the young man seemed surprised. Horatio gave Eric a look and the Cuban nodded, stepping away to meet up with Speed. _

_"Yes, sir?" The young man asked. _

_"I've heard you've been looking for a career change?" Horatio asked. The young man blushed beet red, but nodded. "Yes, sir. I tried to get an application for the Crime Lab, but there weren't any positions available." _

_"You think you're ready for a position at the crime lab?" Horatio asked. The young man blinked and seemed to hesitate before squaring his shoulders and raising his head high in a way that seemed distinctly familiar. "I have a Bachelor's in Chemistry and I've been working patrol until I finished my Master's in Genetics. I have done a dozen ride-alongs with homicide, aced the quantitative analysis and hit all the seminars. I'm as ready as I'll ever be." _

_Horatio nodded, thinking deeply. "How about Patrol?" He asked and Ryan nodded. "I like doing patrol, but every time it's just waiting until dispatch calls. There is no follow through, no knowledge of what happened to the people or bodies who get left behind. CSI stays with the case until all the answers have been found." _

_Horatio gave the young man a piercing look. "Okay, give me your service pistol." Ryan made a move as if he wanted to step back but withheld himself at the last moment. "Sir?" The younger man asked confused. "Your weapon. Let me see it" Horatio said and Ryan handed him his gun. _

_A sad chuckle. _

_He ignored it._

_"Okay, you clean this every weak?" Horatio asked and Ryan nodded, smiling shyly and ducking his head to the floor. Horatio had a flash of a girl with brown hair ducking her head in the same way, but that faded as soon as Ryan spoke. "More, actually. I'm a little OCD. Drives the Watch Commander crazy." The last part was said with a little bit of humour. _

Horatio nodded. "Okay, let me see your back up." Ryan's smile faded and he reached for his back up, handing it over. Horatio checked that too. "That is quite a case of OCD, Wolfe." Ryan's jaw clenched and he nodded. "I know."

The older man regarded the younger man for a few minutes.

_Horatio. _

"How about you come by the Crime Lab later and we'll talk more, alright?"

The young man blinked but nodded and smiled.

Horatio turned around, she was smiling at him.

---- ---- ---

He was flipping through Ryan Wolfe's file, preparing himself for the interview with the younger man when he saw it.

Involved in a car accident on 18th November 1995

Parents, Amelia Cathode-Wolfe and Lorenzo Wolfe along with their daughter Lillian Wolfe were killed on impact. 

Ryan Wolfe, as only living survivor, sustained severe head injury and a broken leg. 

There was a lot more information involving the crash below but Horatio only had eyes for the photograph attached to the document.

An older man with blond hair and green eyes had his arms wrapped around a woman with brown hair and blue eyes. Her hand was resting on the shoulder off a twelve-year old boy with shaggy brown hair and green eyes who had his arms around a twelve-year old girl with brown hair and green eyes.

He stared and stared and stared because he knew that face.

He stood, his heart pounding in his chest and he quickly went down to archives, clutching the file in his hand. He brushed passed Speed and quickly made his way down, where they kept all the evidence and case files on previous cases.

He walked along the endless rows of boxes filled with evidence and case files stacked on big metal shelves. He pulled out the box with the right case number from the car accident and pulled out a file.

He quickly flipped through it until he came to a photograph taken at the scene.

There she was.

Her arms were spread by her side, her skin pale, one lock of brown hair was over shoulder, the others spread like a halo over her head. Her feet were bare, her green eyes were glazed over as she stared into the camera with unseeing eyes. She was wearing a blue dress with white flowers.

Her name was written underneath the picture: Lillian Wolfe.

He grabbed Ryan Wolfe's file and flipped through it.

Ryan Wolfe: Born 25th may 1980 

He flipped through the case file of the car crash, looking at the information written on the document attached to the autopsy picture off Lillian Wolfe.

Lillian Wolfe: Born 25th may 1980 

Horatio stared at it for a while. "They were twins." He said, staring at Lillian's autopsy picture. "Who were twins?" A voice asked from behind him and he jumped slightly, the muscles in his shoulders tensing. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and saw Rick Stetler leaning against one of the metal structures.

Horatio still had his back towards the other man and calmly but quickly slipped the picture of Lillian taken at the crime scene into Ryan's file, his body efficiently blocking what he was doing from Stetler's view.

He slipped the file of the car crash back in the box. He pushed the box back in place and turned around. "It's about our case." Horatio said, walking passed Stetler without looking back.

He wasn't entirely surprised to find Lillian sitting on his desk, swinging her legs, her bare feet brushing over the floor. He closed the door behind him and approached the desk, standing in front of her. She smiled at him sadly, her glazed over eyes staring unblinkingly into his own.

"You found my case file." Her voice was calm and soft. "It was a hit and run, the case ran cold after two days. Dead end, no more leads, no justice. I think it's what drove Ryan to be a criminalist. He never had closure about our deaths, our parents and I. He was never able to say with certainty: I know who killed my family."

"He got over our deaths, although I think, I know, he still misses me, us. He visits my grave every day and that of my parents every week. We weren't able to be buried next to each other. He wants to give people what he never had: closure, knowledge, truth, justice."

"Our uncle Ron raised him since that day, he turned out fine, don't you think?"

He looked at her for a minute. "Lillian, do you know who killed your family?"

Lillian smiled sadly. "Yeah, we know these things."

"The guy was a kid, a few years older then me. He'd just come back from a party, a bit buzzed from the alcohol, nothing major though. He just… wasn't looking where he was going and drove into us. I was sitting on the side where the car hit and I wasn't wearing my seat belt, I was catapulted out of the car, through the window and cracked my head on the concrete. My father was in the passenger seat in front of me, killed on impact. The car started spinning, my mother's seatbelt was worn and snapped, throwing her out of the vehicle and underneath the tires. In the end the car slammed against a tree, Ryan hit his head against the roof of the car and broke his leg."

"The kid just kept driving, he didn't look back, didn't call 911, just kept driving. I'm amazed that his car was still in working order. Ryan was very lucky, or unlucky, it depends on how you look at it."

"And now you're looking out for him?" Horatio asked and Lillian nodded. "He's my twin, I can't just leave him behind. Our parents moved on a long time ago. They check in from time to time."

She held out her hand and he frowned, but took it.

_Time was all you would have needed to save his life. This time was all you would have needed to save his life. Yet, Ryan is meant to be a criminalist. _

_Do you understand? _

The memories of two years without Speed in their team cut through him like a knife and he staggered, taking a shuddering breath. "What was that?" He asked, gasping for air.

Lillian smiled softly. "I gave you the memories you lost when I send you back in time to fix the mess."

He blinked at her. "Why didn't you just let me keep them?" Lillian shook her head. "It doesn't work like that. Time has to take a natural course, if you had done everything with the knowledge of what was to come, Time would have been manipulated."

Horatio frowned. "But you helped me, you were there. Isn't time manipulated anyway?" Lillian smiled softly. "I only pushed you in the right direction, made sure that what I had done was not in vain." Horatio nodded, his mind reeling. Lillian smiled. "Don't tell him you know, he doesn't like it when people know."

Horatio nodded. "Alright. I have a question though." Lillian smiled. "Go ahead." "You did this because you wanted Ryan to be happy. Why didn't you make Ryan do something? Instead, you brought Speed back?"

Lillian sighed. "I can't show myself to him. It's against the rules. You can't show yourselves to your family. The memories would be too much and they would never get over your death and might decide to follow you before their time. You on the other hand, had no memories off me, no emotional attachment, nothing. It was safe, or safer."

"But I let Ryan know I'm with him from time to time, a warm touch on his shoulder or when he felt like he was falling apart when we died, I was there, in the most invisible of ways, but I was there."

She smiled at him. "Thanks Horatio, now he might have a shot at being happy."

And she was gone.

Horatio blinked and pulled out the picture he'd smuggled out of the archives under the watchful eyes of Rick Stetler. He blinked at it for a minute then put in his drawer, he wanted to make sure he never forgot Lillian Wolfe.

Though, with everything that had happened, he was pretty sure he'd never forget.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own

Chapter 3

_Lillian 'Lilly' Wolfe _

_1980 – 1995_

_Beloved sister & daughter _

It was a simple tombstone, no ornaments, no engraved flowers, no angels. Just a piece of white stone with engraved letters.

Eric stared at it, his jaw set and his hand clenching the handle off his silver kit. "Eric?" A voice asked and Eric turned, seeing Horatio walking towards him. He didn't answer and merely turned back to look at the tombstone.

Horatio frowned slightly at the young man and looked down. He recognized the name immediately. It had been two years since Lillian had brought Speed back from the dead, he hadn't seen her since Ryan's interview and admittance to the lab, but he hadn't forgotten about her.

For a minute he wondered if she was around, it was her tombstone after all. But he decided she was most probably keeping an eye on Ryan, who was at another crime scene at the moment. The last few months had been rough on the young man and Horatio though he could use her support.

He nodded. "Ryan's sister, his twin actually." He said and he could feel Eric tense. "How did she die?" Came the soft question and Horatio looked back at the tombstone. "She died in a car crash, Ryan and Lillian had both been fifteen at the time. Lillian and their parents died, Ryan was the only one who survived."

"How do you know all of this?" The Cuban asked, turning to look at him. "It's in his file." Horatio said simply. He squeezed Eric's shoulder and pulled him away. "Come on." He released the young man's shoulder and moved forward to the crime scene.

They stood over the body, it was an elderly man, about forty-five years old. He had a nasty gash on the side of his head and there was blood on the tombstone. Getting killed in a graveyard, what are the odds?

Horatio looked back at Lillian's tombstone.

--- ----- -----

Ryan sighed as he walked towards the locker room, the case had been fairly easy. They'd gone to a friend of the victim, with the intent to just ask a few question and as soon as the guy opened the door and realized they were from the police, he'd fallen to his knees in fright and confessed.

He ran a hand through his hair, or tried to, it wasn't exactly easy with the short strands. He wanted to go to the cemetery today, he hadn't shown up in nearly two months. But things had been hectic, first he got shot in the eye with a nailgun, then he had infection in his eye that luckily cleared up with the antibiotics and then there had been the entire mole problem.

Natalia's exposure as the mole hadn't come to him as a shock, after all he'd gone out with her to find out if she was the mole. She'd been arrested and her trail was in a few months and even though he didn't want to go, he had to, he had to testify.

But at the moment that wasn't the least of his problems.

He'd went out with Boa Vista just to find out if she was the mole and by doing so had created tension between Eric and him. It had been the cause of resentment between them when they had been able to get along so well in the past.

It didn't seem to matter that Natalia had tried to get into Speed's pants as well.

Yes, they had had disputes in the passed, there had been great anger towards each other when Eric had started skipping work and being a moody jerk because of his sister's illness. But then Ryan had gotten shot in the eye with a nailgun and things had been resolved.

But going out with Natalia… It had a put a strain on their friendship and Ryan had hoped that things could go back to normal after the entire mole ordeal. But even though he exposed Natalia as the mole, it didn't seem like Eric could forgive him for not trusting him.

It wasn't like he'd ever really had a chance with the Cuban, even though they had been friends since the beginning and had gotten along great. It wasn't like he'd ever really had a chance even if he hadn't asked Natalia out. Eric was way too straight for that, besides he could get anyone he wanted, why would he go after Ryan?

But really, liking… loving Eric was his own fault. He'd fallen hard the very first time he'd seen the tall Latino and he should have just pushed it away, should have just forgotten about it when it became obvious that Eric liked women way too much to ever give him a second glance.

He wondered if Eric hated him for what had happened, after all Eric had been in love with Boa Vista and maybe Eric blamed him for the entire thing.

Ryan sighed and shook himself, it wouldn't do him any good to keep thinking about it now. But the truth was he was alone and every day he felt the loneliness tug him further and further down. He sighed.

_Oh, Lilly, I wish you were here. _

He missed her more then anything. When they'd found out about OCD his parents had accepted him, but they never really understood. Lillian on the other hand, understood him perfectly. As children they'd only needed each other, both at the bottom of the social ladder at school and not having any of friends, they stayed with each other. And he found he missed her more every day.

_Oh, Lilly…_

He pushed open the door of the locker room and froze in his tracks for just a minute when he saw Eric sitting on the bench, his head in his hands. He tried to leave again silently, give the other man some peace.

But Eric raised his head and looked straight at him, then stood and turned to his locker. Ryan stepped further inside and made his way towards his locker. He opened it, keeping his eyes firmly on the content that was inside. He pulled out a shirt and started to unbutton the one he was wearing.

"Hey, Ryan?"

Ryan turned around to look at Eric, the older man was leaning against his locker, looking at Ryan intently. "What?" Ryan asked, his voice soft. Eric hesitated. "I was just…. I was at Silent Oak Graveyard today, for a case."

Eric watched as Ryan's face blanched, going completely blank and pale.

"And?" The younger man asked, his voice a whisper.

"I … I came across the grave of Lillian Wolfe. Horatio said, she was your twin sister. He said he knew because it was in your file. And I just wanted to say… I'm sorry man."

Ryan shook his head. "It was a long time ago, forget it."

"No, I mean… Remember that day you got shot in the eye with the nail gun? Well of course you remember… In the hallway. I said that if I thought you could even begin to understand what I was going through I would explain it to you. And even though my sister was sick and everything… I didn't lose her, she's still alive… and I just…"

Eric stopped talking as if he didn't know what to say and Ryan blinked at him. The young man laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay." The Cuban looked down into Ryan's eyes and the young man blinked, feeling his body tremble slightly.

They were standing close, a bit too close perhaps, definitely too close for Ryan's tastes, or perhaps not close enough. He could feel his heart beating wildly against his ribcage and his breathing hitched. Eric's large palm cupped his cheek and if Ryan's eyes weren't lying to him they were moving closer towards each other.

And then Eric's lips were on his and Ryan gasped.

Suddenly his body was pressed against one of the lockers, Eric's body heavy against his own, pushing him into the metal behind his back. The Cuban's tongue was hot against his and Ryan released a desperate moan when he felt a demanding hardness pressing into his thigh. It was everything he'd ever wanted. He wrapped his arms around the other's man neck and whimpered when Eric pushed their bodies closer, as if he wanted to mould with Ryan and sink through his skin.

---- --- ----- ---

Horatio wasn't completely surprised when he turned to the window to see her standing in front of it. She hadn't changed a bit since he last saw her. Brown hair just passed her shoulders and a complex too pale for someone who walked in the sun. The blue dress with white flowers still flowed around curves that never had the chance to completely develop. Her bare feet stood unfeeling on the cold stone. She still had those odd eyes, glazed over yet focused.

"Is there a problem?"

The question seemed harsh and cold, as if he had no feelings for her state or had no respect for what she did, but she knew him better then.

"Why do you think there is a problem?" Her voice was soft, calm, controlled.

"Because you only let yourself be seen when there are problems." His answer seemed to amuse her.

"What about last time?"

He remembered last time. He'd found out about the accident that had killed her, he'd found out who her family was and why she protected Ryan, why she looked after him.

"Lillian, is something wrong?"

It had been two years since he last spoke her name yet it sounded as familiar as if he'd spoken it everyday.

She shook her head. "It's taken two years but everything is falling into place. I can go now."

He blinked. "You're leaving."

She smiled at him. "Everything is as it should be. He'll be happy."

Something clicked in his head.

"Eric didn't see your grave by accident, did he?" He asked and she laughed and smiled. "I can't get anything passed you, can I?" She smiled, with only a trace off sadness and he knew she didn't want to leave. "Look after him for me, will you?"

He nodded and she smiled wider. "When you find a killer, when you get someone in jail, when you make them pay for what they have done… those who were murdered, the souls that never had a chance to live on earth, they really appreciate it."

And with those words she was gone.

When he ran into Ryan and Eric later, the Cuban's arm wrapped around the younger man's waist, he smiled and nodded.

Lillian had been right, he would be happy.

The End


End file.
